2022 Mystery 97pt Halliday Rated McLaren Vale Syrah

As far as mystery offers go, this one’s worth your attention. Freshly crowned with a commanding 97-point review from Marcus Ellis at Halliday Wine Companion, this standout McLaren Vale winery has just reminded us why it’s one of the region’s top names.

You could call them legendary – but that feels a bit tired. Let’s say they’re a star performer. A five red-star winery. A regular on Top 100 Wines of the Year lists. A critics’ darling. In just a few years, they’ve shaken things up, scoring big both here and in the US.

The wine? Fewer than a few hundred cases are made each year. It’s small-batch, terroir-driven Syrah with serious intent.

We’re talking the heart of the Vale here – a single-site, dry-grown vineyard in Seaview with old vines and a winemaking approach that leans more Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie than big, burly South Australian red. It’s only released when the vintage warrants it, and more often than not, they skip a year entirely rather than push something out that’s not up to scratch.

But in 2022, the stars aligned. Near-perfect maritime conditions, fine sandy soils and iron-rich clay have delivered depth, minerality, brooding intensity and fine, silky tannins.

There’s the 97-point review: ‘This is truly excellent, a compelling wine, and one that will have a long and meaningful life.’ Or the 96 from James Suckling: ‘Among the finest expressions of Syrah in the Vale.’ But frankly, this is one of those wines that doesn’t need a critic’s praise to prove its worth. One sip, and you’ll get it.

Our tasting panel may as well have been writing a shopping list, the way the notes were flying around the room. Liquorice – the kind dipped in couverture chocolate. Olive tapenade. Black cherry drops. Iron and clay pots. Dried violets. Potpourri. Graphite. Star anise. Mocha. Berry compote. So many evocative spices; ‘Reminds me of a corner store in Goa’ joked Ned Goodwin MW of the previous vintage.

We all had the same thought: do whatever it takes to get as much of this as we can. Points and price aside, it’s just that good. It doesn’t need a discount or a glowing review to stand tall.

And yes, we know it sounds like a cliché, but we don’t expect this to last more than a day or two.